My friend, Jeffrey Carter, a music professor at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, has taken up collecting glass paperweights.

Jeff’s starter collection: Paperweights

I grew up in Elwood, Indiana where glass was a major and popular commodity. Several blocks away was the glassblowing factory of the St. Clair family who had a rich history in our hometown.

The History of the St. Clair Family & Glass Business

The paperweight I’ve included in this post was a graduation gift from Paula Simmons, my band and choir director from 7th through 12th grades.

My classmate, Jodi Dauenhauer, lived beside St. Clair’s glass factory and I remember gathering up broken colored glass near her yard. In fact, Jodi loved the name St. Clair, so much, that she added it in place of her maiden name and is now Jodi St. Clair!

I’m excited that Jeff is collecting something that is near and dear to my heart, and something that is a part of my life in Elwood, Indiana.

Happy collecting, Jeff!